Latest news with #overbooking
The Independent
12-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
I'm too ill to travel – why won't the hotel refund me?
Q Is it legal or reasonable for a hotel not to offer any sort of refund? I was booked to stay at a well-known hotel chain this coming Saturday night. Unfortunately, I am ill and can't go. The hotel has refused to refund me. It seems quite harsh that it's a flat 'no' like this! A The hotel responded to your polite request for a refund by saying: 'Unfortunately due to the cancellation policy, the amount due is not refundable even if the booking is cancelled or modified.' I checked the conditions for the 'advance saver' you booked; in return for a 15 per cent discount on the regular, flexible rate (refundable until midnight the night before), it makes quite clear you are not getting your money back. Sorry. Yet there is rather more to your case than that. I have tried to make a booking for Saturday night and found the place is full up. The website says: 'Unavailable for the selected dates'. There are two possibilities that I can see: one is that the hotel will have an unoccupied room on Saturday night because you won't be showing up; that would be a shame. The other is that the hotel has deliberately overbooked. Hotels often predict a certain number of no-shows of people who have booked and paid in advance, perhaps selling 102 rooms in a 100-room hotel. (I recently asked at the front desk of a four-star hotel in Brussels if they had any rooms available that night, and was told 'minus two' – ie it was overbooked.) Whichever explanation is correct, I think it would be fairer and commercially smart on a busy night to allow you to change dates for a fee or to allow you to cancel completely for, say, a 50 per cent refund. Then the hotel could resell your room with confidence, and probably price it at significantly more than the £95 you paid due to strong demand. For now, though, I fear all you can do is spend your hard-earned money elsewhere in future. Q What countries have you not been to? Steve Holland A Far too many to mention. While I relish visiting new nations, I am in no sense a 'completist' wanting to visit every country in the world. I am sure the scattering of island nations across the Pacific have their charms, but I won't be putting together a complicated, expensive and time-consuming itinerary to visit them. (I have, though, been to Easter Island, part of Chile, which I wholeheartedly recommend.) My most pressing wish is to explore more of Africa. In the west, I have heard great things about Sierra Leone and Ghana. Congo looks fascinating. And, in the southeast, Malawi and Mozambique are tempting. In the Indian Ocean, Reunion (technically part of France) and Madagascar appeal. In the Middle East, I will be visiting Lebanon for the first time this October, but Syria, Iraq and Iran I will save for later. The main Asian nations I long to visit are Pakistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. I have tried to visit the last of those. The authorities refused to issue a visa. I hope officials in Ashgabat may be more lenient next time. North Korea? I would much prefer to visit when this strange land is freed from tyranny. In South America, my 'missing' nations are the sole Dutch and French representatives on the continent, Suriname and French Guiana. I will reach them one day. Mostly, though, I am desperate to explore more of the countries I have already visited. I am looking forward to returning to Ukraine – as well as Belarus and Russia – when the war ends; tourism is a force for healing after conflict. Large swathes of Turkey look enticing, as do Georgia and Armenia. At the other end of Asia, I have barely done Indonesia justice, and will do so soon. Finally, the more I see of the great European nations – France, Spain, Italy, Germany... – the more I want to return. Q I am going to Belgium in early September. I don't think we have time for Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp. Which two of those would you choose? John Gregory A Without question, Antwerp and Ghent. Bruges is a superbly preserved medieval city with a magnificent, Unesco -listed historic centre. But in summer it is Belgium's strongest contender for overtourism, especially when a big cruise ship docks at nearby Zeebrugge. According to maritime sources, vessels will call at the port on most days in the first half of September. Bruges and Ghent are sometimes portrayed as similar – but in my view, the latter has more to offer. Rivers and canals slice Ghent into a collection of enticing quarters. You can survey them from the top of the 14th-century belfry – accessible by 366 steps. The first cultural highlight is a superb Modern art museum, Smak. Next, a spectacular work of art, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb by Jan and Hubert Van Eyck, on display in the cathedral; it is also known as the Ghent altarpiece. And Citadelpark has much to offer, including the beautiful University Botanic Gardens, with 10,000 species of plant, and MSK – the Museum of Fine Arts. Antwerp is twice the size of Ghent and more industrialised, but the city centre is eminently walkable. The central station is more than a busy transport hub: it is a palace of mobility and the grandest possible entry point to a city. The impressively refreshed Royal Museum of Fine Arts (also known as KMSKA) is lots of fun. Antwerp's Flemish renaissance Grote Markt feels like a more enjoyable central square than even the Grand-Place in Brussels. Both Antwerp and Ghent offer superb food and drink at reasonable prices – as does everywhere else in Belgium. Just in case you have time en route from Antwerp to Brussels airport or main railway station for your journey home, Mechelen is well worth a lunch stop, too. Q I was booked to fly from the Maldives to Doha and onwards to London on Qatar Airways on the day the Iranians fired their missiles at the Al Udeid Air Base. The flight to Doha was cancelled. Ground staff at the airport could only give me a slip of paper telling me to contact the local Qatar Airways office. That was impossible; two emails only got automated replies. So I bought full-price British Airways tickets home for the following day. Qatar now refuses to pay any compensation or expenses and has only offered a refund of the unused return portion. Of course, I accept the cause was beyond the airline's control. Even though it was a 'non-UK sector' that was cancelled, because the whole journey started and finished in London, that gives me UK rights, I think? Leon D A Your experience mirrors mine last November when Qatar Airways cancelled a flight from Kathmandu to Doha, not in such dramatic circumstances as yours. The carrier washed its hands of the matter, offering a replacement flight a week later. I ended up spending £1,300 to get home via Bangkok. Qatar Airways issued a refund for the return leg promptly, but it didn't cover even half of that cost. You have, I'm afraid, become the latest traveller to learn of the loophole in British and European air passengers' rights rules. They do not apply to a non-European airline flying from outside the UK or the EU. So there is no obligation to find another flight or provide hotels and meals. This is infuriating and should be addressed. Rules notwithstanding, the passenger-friendly course of action for Qatar Airways would have been to rebook you immediately on the British Airways flight for which you ended up paying top whack. But tens of thousands of passengers were stranded in various locations. Many of them, such as those flying out for the UK, were covered by air passengers' rights rules. So it is unsurprising that they were prioritised. If you happen to have been on a package holiday to the Maldives, then the holiday company is required to look after you and should recompense you. Otherwise, I suggest you try your travel insurer.
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Travel + Leisure
04-07-2025
- Travel + Leisure
Overbooked Flight? The Airline Could Owe You Over $2,000—Plus, How to Avoid Getting Bumped in the First Place
The only thing worse than fighting for overhead bin space on a fully packed flight? Finding out you've been denied boarding altogether. Unfortunately, this frustrating experience is more common than you might think. Sometimes, airlines sell more seats than they can actually offer—leaving unlucky passengers without a spot on the plane, in a situation often referred to as 'bumping.' While the practice may seem questionable, it's actually a routine part of airline operations, especially during peak travel seasons. The good news? You're not entirely powerless in these scenarios. Here's what to know—and what to do—if it happens to you, plus how to reduce your chances of getting bumped in the first place. While it may sound surprising, it's completely legal for airlines to overbook flights, and, according to Jesse Neugarten, founder of Dollar Flight Club, they do so "all the time." He continues, telling Travel + Leisure , "Airlines are legally allowed to sell more tickets than there are seats on a plane because they know some people won't show up." Think of it as a numbers game based on historical data. "Most of the time, it works out, but every now and then, too many people show up, and someone has to get bumped." If no one volunteers to give up their seat, airlines follow specific criteria to decide who gets bumped. "It's not random," says Neugarten, who tells T+L that those who checked in last, booked basic economy fares, or don't have assigned seats are usually first in line. Solo travelers are also more likely to be selected since they're easier to rebook. On the flip side, he says, "If you have elite status, paid a higher fare, or checked in early, your chances of being bumped are much lower." Passengers sitting on a plane. Margot Cavin/Travel + Leisure If you do get bumped, don't fret. Instead, remain calm and stay at the gate. Neugarten recommends asking the gate agent for a written explanation of your rights, as they're required to provide one. Then, check the airline's app for alternative flights. "In many cases," he says, "you can rebook yourself faster than waiting in line." You'll also want to ask the gate agent about compensation and what they can offer to help get you to your destination—whether that's a seat on the next available flight, a meal voucher, or even a hotel stay if you're delayed overnight. Ultimately, Neugarten encourages anyone who gets bumped to speak up and ask questions. "You have more power than you think," he tells T+L. And remember: just because you're bumped doesn't mean you have to stick with the same airline. "Always ask if they can put you on another airline," he adds. "Many gate agents can do it, but they won't unless you ask." Another important thing to keep in mind, per Neugarten: "If the new flight arrives more than an hour later than your original one, you may be owed money." Here's the gist: If the airline gets you to your destination within an hour of your original arrival time, you won't receive any form of compensation. However, under U.S. Department of Transportation regulations, if you're delayed by one to two hours on a domestic flight (or one to four hours on an international flight), you're entitled to 200 percent of your one-way fare, up to $1,075. Delays longer than two hours domestically (or more than four hours internationally) can earn you 400 percent of your one-way fare, up to $2,150. It is important to note that this compensation only applies to passengers who are involuntarily denied boarding—in other words, bumped. "If you're asked to volunteer your seat, that's a different story," says Neugarten. In those cases, you can (and should!) negotiate. "Ask for cash instead of a voucher, and don't be afraid to request meal or hotel accommodations if needed," he advises. But why push for cash? It's simple: Vouchers can expire, come with blackout dates, or be loaded with restrictions that make them harder to use. And finally, Neugarten emphasizes: "Always get the deal in writing." This is where things get a bit complicated. "Most travel insurance won't cover overbooking directly," says Neugarten. "But if getting bumped causes a domino effect—like missing a prepaid hotel night or a connecting flight—you might be able to file a claim under trip delay or trip interruption coverage." For frequent travelers, he recommends looking into providers like SafetyWing, which "offer monthly coverage and can help with some of the headaches that come from delays or rebooking." As with anything travel-related, read the fine print carefully so you know exactly what's included. One of the simplest ways to protect your seat is to check in as early as possible. "The earlier you check in, the less likely you are to lose your seat," says Neugarten. This is especially important if you're flying basic economy, traveling solo, or don't have an assigned seat—all of which, as previously mentioned, can make you more vulnerable to getting bumped. As stated above, having a confirmed seat helps keep you off the dreaded bump list. Selecting your seat ahead of time signals to the airline that your spot is claimed, potentially helping to keep you off the bump list. That said, there are no guarantees, and you could still get bumped. Neugarten explains that "busy travel days like Sundays and holidays are more likely to be overbooked." So, if your schedule allows, opt for less popular travel times, like midweek flights or early-morning departures. Not only are these flights typically less crowded, but you're also less likely to face overbooking-related disruptions. It pays to be loyal, especially when it comes to avoiding getting bumped. "Frequent fliers and elite members are less likely to be bumped," says Neugarten. Even entry-level loyalty status can sometimes offer an edge when seats are limited. "Even within economy," says Neugarten, "basic fares are at the bottom of the priority list," which means passengers in this fare class are among the first to be involuntarily denied boarding when a flight is oversold. If you're especially concerned about getting to your destination on time, it's often worth paying a bit more for a standard economy ticket. You'll get more flexibility—and a higher chance of keeping your seat.
Daily Mail
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Jason Manford takes aim at hotel chain's 'ridiculous policy' after being forced to share a room and refuses to delete his video rant so 'people know what your company are doing'
Jason Manford has hit out at a hotel chain's 'ridiculous' and 'fundamentally wrong' policy, after he was forced to share a room due to overbooking. The comedian, 44, is currently on tour with his show, A Manford All Seasons, but ran into a spot of trouble after arriving in Bournemouth on Saturday night, ahead of his show at the Bournemouth Pavilion the following evening. Arriving at the Village Hotel, he discovered that the hotel had been overbooked for the night and that as he had arrived late his room had been sold to someone else. Jason took to X to blast the chain over the error, explaining to his followers that he had no choice but to share a room with his pal Steve. Filming himself walking to the hotel room, he explained: 'So we got to our hotel tonight in Bournemouth and it's fully booked. We were like, "Fine, that's good - well done you!" 'They went, "No, no, as in like without you". So me and Steve, obviously [we're] in separate rooms. And then we just discovered that basically if it's fully booked it means that, [you have to share].' The comedian, 44, is currently on tour with his show, A Manford All Seasons, but ran into a spot of trouble after arriving in Bournemouth on Saturday night, ahead of his show at the Bournemouth Pavilion the following evening (seen in 202) Arriving at the Village Hotel, he discovered that the hotel had been overbooked for the night and that as he had arrived late his room had been sold to someone else The funnyman couldn't help but laugh at the situation, sarcastically quipping: 'Okay, don't worry, it is what it is, these things happen - all that b******t!' 'I mean we spent all day together! Oh, well, at least we've got a nice view of the car park.' Jason then issued a warning to his followers about using the hotel, before calling the chain out directly and reprimanding them as 'naughty'. He said: 'Oh well, these things happen and all that. Worst things happen at sea. But Village Hotel, just beware, if you are booking and it's a busy day in a busy city... 'I mean, we're lucky that [our booking] was two rooms because that fella coming behind us, a doctor as well, and no room for him. He just had to walk out, and like and there's no rooms anywhere in Bournemouth tonight. 'Naughty that, naughty. I've heard of aeroplanes doing it, but I've never known in 25 years of touring, a hotel doing it. That's not on, that is not on.' Panning the camera around to reveal the two single beds in the room, he concluded the video by saying: 'So we've managed to make best of our situation. But that poor doctor, maybe he could sleep on the floor! Anyway, good night.' He captioned the clip: 'What's your minimum expectation when you book a room at @Villagehotelsup? Staff were lovely but policy stinks!' The next day, Jason returned to social media to give fans an update on the situation, explaining that hotel management had been in touch, and that they'd also asked him to take down his first video. He captioned the clip: 'What's your minimum expectation when you book a room at @Villagehotelsup? Staff were lovely but policy stinks!' However, the 8 Out of 10 Cats star flatly refused to delete the post, explaining that he wanted to leave it up to warn people about the company's practice and to offer support to the hotel staff that had to face the umbrage of upset customers. He began: 'This is the final word I'll say on this. I know the general manager of The Village Hotel's got in touch with the manager at the Bournemouth one and came and found me and have a word with me and it was very nice to speak to them. 'For people who don't know, I got to the hotel last night and the hotel was overbooked. So it meant because we arrived late - we always arrive late because of the two late shows - our room had been resold to somebody else. 'Now we dealt with it, it was fine, we kept our humour. What can you do, you know what I mean, it's nobody's fault in that building, so me and Steve had a laugh and had a shared room and it was fine.' He went on: 'Now they asked me to take the video down, politely, but I'm not going to because I think it's important that people know that this is happening for one. 'What if it was a wedding or you had kids with you or a million other situations that were much more serious than mine. It's wrong, fundamentally it's wrong.' Jason stressed that the Bournemouth hotel's staff were not to blame for the situation and urged his followers to save their anger for the people at the top making the 'ridiculous policy'. He said: 'What I will say is it's not the staff's fault. And this is the problem with these big companies. That is somebody in an office, making a policy that makes them more money, but they don't have to deal with the s**t. 'I didn't kick off, but I can imagine people would. So the staff then have to deal with upset customers and getting vitriol in heightened emotional situations. 'So I'm not going to take the video down, because I think it's right that people know that's what your company are doing. 'And I'm going to leave it up as a bit of support for the staff, who aren't being paid as much as the person who made the decision is and how much that person is making out of this ridiculous policy. 'So bear that in mind if these things do happen, same with an aeroplane. We've all been there, we've all been in a moment where the person we're in contact with is the person that's going to get it. 'But we have to take a step back sometimes, just remember that person is just doing their job and they don't like it either. In fact that's what the manager said to me last night, "I don't like this either, I hate it". 'It takes a video like this and us talking about it for them, hopefully to have a little look at their policies and think maybe this is not in the best interest of our staff and certainly not of the customer.' Fans were quick to praise the TV star for bringing awareness to the issue and his 'nice balanced approach'. They commented: 'Spot on. Another angle is that a family could book the room, have an emergency and not be able to come. Be told it's a non refundable booking, with the room double booked and paid for by someone else anyway. It's all greed, let's be honest.' 'Well said, shame for the staff having to deal with the fallout from this ridiculous policy'; 'Nice balanced approach … and thank you for thinking of us people at the 'coal face'.' 'Good on you'; 'Glad you got it sorted @JasonManford! Welcome to Bournemouth and have a great gig tonight!'
Daily Mail
25-06-2025
- Daily Mail
The shocking reason 6.6 million plane passengers are denied boarding every year
With the summer holiday season in full swing, new research shows over six million passengers are turned away from flights each year - even if they have a valid ticket. Overbooking occurs when airlines sell more seats than there actually are on a flight, in the hopes a small number of passengers won't show up. But when all passengers do turn up, this means someone gets left behind - and this could be you. According a study by which analysed data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), around 20.9 million people a year have been affected by overbooked flights. Of those, over a third (32 per cent) weren't allowed to board at all - the equivalent of about 6.6 million people every year. When a flight is overbooked, airlines are legally required to provide alternative flights, compensation and assistance to any affected travellers. Among the travellers surveyed, around 84 per cent, who were 'bumped' from flights were able to get rebooked on another - but about one in six weren't so lucky, meaning almost a million people were left with no replacement flight at all. Out of these few passengers, almost two-thirds (71 per cent) said they lost money as a result. However, less than half (44 per cent) decided to claim anything back on their travel insurance. Now, a travel insurance expert at is urging passengers to know their rights in the event they are affected by overbooked flights while travelling this year. Rhys Jones says: 'Flight overbooking happens more than we'd like to think, and it can make for an extremely stressful start to any trip for the passengers affected. 'If it happens to you, and you're not allowed to board a plane, the first thing you should do is confirm with the airline that you were denied boarding because of overbooking. Get this in writing if possible.' He recommends asking how the airline plans to assist you straight away - whether that's booking you on to another flight, covering your costs, or offering compensation. Jones adds: 'Remember to keep all relevant documents like boarding passes, communications from your airline and receipts for accommodation or meal costs. Your airline should compensate these expenses. 'Know that you can complain to your airline if necessary, and even, if it isn't being resolved, take your complaint to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) or an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme.' While standard travel insurance usually doesn't cover overbooking, some policies include optional 'travel disruption' cover, which could help if the airline doesn't sort the issue. Jones says it's worth checking the details of your policy before you fly. It comes as Ryanair has hit back at a couple who vowed they will 'never fly with the airline again' after their decision to not pay extra to reserve seats ended up getting them kicked off the flight. Scott McCormick and his girlfriend, Helena Boshwick, both 33, were set to fly from Birmingham Airport on May 1 to Palma de Mallorca, Spain, for a week-long break and gym mentorship event. The couple chose not to reserve seats - which typically costs between £4.50 and £33 per seat - prior to boarding as they 'didn't mind' sitting apart during the two-hour flight. This can be a gamble, as passengers might not get a seat next to their travel companions - or they could find themselves wedged in between two strangers if they've been assigned a less-desirable middle seat. And, in this case, they were offered two separate flights entirely - as there was only one seat left on the plane they were on.
Fox News
21-06-2025
- Fox News
Flight passenger's rant about airline standby practices goes viral as record summer travel gets underway
An individual has taken to social media to rant that he or she is "tired of airlines acting like they're doing you a favor for putting you on a flight you paid for" just as the busiest summer travel season gets underway — sparking a heated discussion online among other travelers. "I book a flight weeks in advance and find out I've been put on standby when I get to the airport," wrote the person in a Reddit post, which elicited more than 5,000 reactions. "I then get told, 'Oh, you're lucky we got you the last seats available.'" The person added on the Reddit travel thread, "Lucky? I paid for this flight weeks in advance." The Redditor went on to say, addressing an unnamed airline in the post, "You oversold the flight and are now scrambling people around and are acting like you're doing me [a] favor for getting me a seat on the flight I originally booked and paid for." One individual responded to the post, "They will cancel or change the flight at a moment's notice, but if you change it, it's a problem and costs more." That reply alone attracted some 3,000 reactions. The vast majority of commenters agreed with the original post and expressed similar levels of outrage. "They rarely admit fault and if you make a mistake, it usually costs you," said another person. "It would be fair if they took responsibility, especially for overbooking." "You paid for your ticket. You did your part." Wrote yet another person in part, "While I understand the concept of positive positioning for customer service, it's insulting for them to use the word 'lucky' here. You paid for your ticket. You did your part. They created a problem and they had to solve it." Said another commenter, "If you fly first class, they actually treat you like a person once you get on the plane." Others online shared different perspectives — with some expressing confusion about the situation described. "Did you make sure to check in 24 hours in advance?" wrote one person. "Some airlines will release your seat to standby if [you're] not checked in by the last hour or so." Others also said they've never been bumped and asked the original poster for more details. "I have never experienced that," wrote one person. "I don't take that many domestic flights, but I do travel quite a lot internationally. I [have] never been bumped or had my ticket canceled." Said another person, "This has never happened to me. Ever." Wrote someone else, "Did you buy a basic fare with no assigned seat? I'm confused as to how they could move you to standby." With July 4th just up ahead, Americans are predicted to set a travel record this year to celebrate during the nation's 249th birthday. AAA released its "Independence Day Travel Forecast" report, finding that 72.2 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home this July 4th, Fox News Digital previously reported. The forecast looks not just at the Fourth of July but at holiday travel spanning from Saturday, June 28 to Sunday, July 6. The 2025 report is predicting an increase of 1.7 million travelers compared to last year, while determining there will be seven million more travelers compared to 2019. Over 60 million Americans are set to drive to their destination, which is a 2.2% increase from 2024. Of the millions predicted to travel, 8% or 5.84 million Americans will be flying to their destinations. About 4.78 million travelers will be taking other forms of transportation such as cruises or trains. Ashley DiMella of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.
